Kindling a hidden flame
by Steampunk Dinah
Summary: Lamura is a young princess and was once betrothed to Zuko.When surrounded by other Fire royalty,they could not show their affection and let their relationship grow.When Zuko is banished,Lamura is also sent away for defending him.Now that their alone,will
1. A hidden flame

Disclaimer: I regret to inform you, I do not own Avatar.

Author's Note: This is going to be a little off track. Please forgive me now. In some parts it's going to be very mushy romance. You'll see a whole new side to Prince Zuko. Italics are flashbacks and bold is thoughts.

_Kindling a hidden flame_

_ "Your Highness! This is insane! How can you banish your own son? He's the only heir to the throne. If you die, no one will be there and the Fire Nation will fall to pieces!" A young princess protested to the Fire Lord. _

_ The flames infront of the Fire Lord flared up and his voice shook through the room. "You DARE to speak out against me! I see why you are like my son. Neither of you know when to keep your mouth closed. If you desire to be with him then I banish you as well. You are to stay with Zuko until he regains his honor and returns to home. You are only allowed back to this place if Zuko is as well."_

_ The young princess gasped and stepped back. She looked all around the room for someone to stand up for her. She looked at her parents and saw their eyes downcast. They were going to let her be banished and not say a word. She glared at them then back at the Fire Lord. She quickly turned and left the room. Once out of sight from anyone, She broke out in tears and ran to her home. She rushed up to her room and packed her belongings. She walked from one side of the room to the other, over and over. She gathered all the things she needed and threw them in two large bags. She stared down at the bags and grew even more angry. Her fists burned and she slammed them down on her bed, falling on her knees. She mumbled to herself. "Banished? Me?How could he be so mean to his son and I?"_

_ "He's the Fire Lord. He can act however he likes. I should know. I was foolish to ask for mercy from him. I knew he would never grant it." A voice called from the doorway._

_ The young girl turned to see Prince Zuko. He had a bandage around his left eye and his hair was pulled back in a ight ponytail. He had an angered expression on his face but in his eyes was hurt and sorrow. Without another word, Zuko left the girl alone in an empty silence that sent chills through her body._

Lamura sat up with a jolt. She put a hand over her heart and took in a deep breath. She looked around the room in a hurry. She saw the iron walls and cold floor. She instantly remembered where she was. She was on a ship with Prince Zuko and his uncle Iroh. She had been banished along with Prince Zuko for speaking out against the Fire Lord. She let out a deep sigh and got out of her bed. She could see the sun from her window. She quickly dressed and left her room.

She walked out on the deck of the ship. She had on a long dark red dress with white flowers embroidered on it. She had her long black hair trailing behind her. It went to the back of her knees. Over her hair she had a white satin cloth. The cloth was secured on her head with a small golden headband. Her dark blue eyes gazed out at the water infront of her. She walked to the front of the ship and watched as the waves hit the front of the ship. She sighed and lowered her head. She loved to spend time away from home but she missed her home, her bed, her parents.

"Tired of being on the sea, Little Lamura?" Zuko's uncle, Iroh, said from behind her.

She turned and smiled. She loved Iroh. He was like a father to her. "Yes. Being at sea is alright but after so long, I begin to miss land. Do you think there will be any chance of stopping soon?"

Iroh smiled and moved closer to her. "There is no way to determine when we will land but I'm thinking of making up an excuse to get off this boat. My nephew has been too worked up lately. I think we all need a break. Please try to help him relax. I have seen how, on some rare occasions, he relaxes when he's around you. He is in his meditation room."

Lamura saw his mischievious smile and smiled as well. "You think he relaxes when I am near?"

"Yes. I have seen it in his eyes. He talks about you sometimes as well. Besides...," Iroh tilted Lamura's chin up slightly and smiled. He then led her towards the meditation room."He can't help but be happy when such a beauty is around."

Lamura opened her mouth to say something but Iroh opened the door and shoved her inside, slamming the door behind her. She looked back at the door with wide eyes. She considered walking right back out of the room when a voice stopped her. "Uncle, I don't wish to hear any news about our position. I just want to relax. Please, come back later."

She closed her eyes and smiled. She stepped closer to him. "I don't know our posistion. I was just pushed in here to help you relax."

Zuko quickly turned around and saw his former-betrothed infront of him. He was wearing normal red training pants and a simple red vest. He was amazed by her beauty. He turned and sat facing her. He motioned for her to sit infront of him. Watching her move towards him made him smile inside."Did my uncle send you in here?"

Lamura sat infront of him and rested her hands on her lap. She smiled when he asked about his uncle. "Yes. He asked me to help you relax and get your mind off of your troubles." She scooted closer to him, their knees almost touching. Her cheeks turned a light pink color. She bowed her head so he could not see her blush.Then she whispered so he could barely hear her. "Is there anything I can do to help you relax, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko watched as his dear friend bowed her head and spoke with such formalities. When he was around her, he didn't want to be 'Prince' Zuko. He just wanted to be Zuko or any of the funny names she gave him. They had had few times when they were completely alone and they could be free and open with one another. Although he was a banished prince, he was still a prince and treated people the way he was taught to treat them. "Well, you could stop with the formalities and call me Zuko. We're alone and I want you to be comfertable with me. Please, come a little closer."

Lamura blushed a little more and she scooted just a little closer. Their knees touched and Zuko smiled. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He turned her and pulled her close so her back was against his chest. This was one of the very rare really romantic moments. She looked over her shoulder at Zuko. She saw his smile and gladly gave him a smile of her own. She leaned into his embrace and put her hands over his. She took one of his hands and lifted it up to her lips. Kissing his hand, she let it fall back to it's place around her waist."I'm very glad we get times like these. It makes me feels so happy but why are you so open? You've never been this open in a while." She moved from his embrace and sat infront of him. She leaned forward, placing her hands on his knees. She spoke with joking sarcasm. "Are you seasick, my dear prince?"

Zuko laughed and leaned closer to her. Their faces were inches apart. "No. I never get seasick." Zuko leaned even closer. He was close enough to feel Lamura's breath on his lips. Pausing just a moment, he took in the scent of peaches. He closed his eyes as the aroma filled his lungs. "You smell like peaches."

Lamura smiled and watched Zuko's cheeks turn a noticable red. She moved her hands up his legs and took his hands in hers. "Is that a bad thing, dear Zuko? Shall I get something to take away the smell?" She slowly started to get to her feet, wondering if Zuko would stop her. Zuko did exactly what she thought he would. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back down, setting her on his lap. He held her close and smiled. He rested his head on her shoulder and kissed her collarbone.

"You can't leave and I don't want you to get rid of that wonderful scent. I love peaches." He held her around her waist. He loved being close to her. He loved being able to hold her and love her. "Sometimes, I'm glad we were banished because at home, we would never be able to show this much emotion. Don't you agree?"

Lamura smiled and wrapped her arms around him. She rubbed his back lightly and kissed his shoulder. "Yes.Sometimes I'm also glad we got banished together. We can be together so much more and be ourselves but sometimes, I get homesick and wish I could see my parents."

Zuko pulled back and looked at her with sorrowful eyes. "You have a portrait of them don't you?" He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a little rub.

Lamura nodded and looked down. "Yes but sometimes that can't satisfy as much as really being with them. I'm glad to be with you but I miss myparents. I'm still a little mad that they didn't stand up for me when I was banished but I can kind of understand. They wanted to stay where they knew they could be happy. If they went somewhere outside the fire nation, people would run from them and that would only anger them."

Zuko frowned and tilted her chin up. He gazed deeply into her eyes. He loved her eyes. they were so beautiful. He leaned close and slowly closed his eyes.

Lamura saw this and smiled. She also leaned closer, their lips inching closer with every passing moment. They were just centimeters apart. They could feel eachother's breath on their lips. They could practicaly taste the other person's lips. Then, the ship shook and tossed the two across the room. Lamura landed against the wall and Zuko hit a table. They both sat up and looked at eachother. "What was that?"

Zuko jumped to his feet and stormed towards the door. "I don't know but I'm about to find out." He flung the door open and stormed towards the deck. Lamura quickly followed, angered because their romantic moment had been ruined. When they got to the deck, the found the soliders walking off the ship. Wait...Walking off the ship! They were supposed to be sailing. They looked to the side and saw a village and the ship was docked. Iroh saw the two and motioned them over. Zuko stormed over angered because his orders had been disobeyed and Lamura stormed over as well,waiting to hear a good reason for why they had been interuppted. Zuko spoke first. "Uncle! Why have we stopped? Why are we not still at sea?"

"Who gave the order to dock? This is against Zuko's commands." Lamura spoke with the same fury Zuko did. They had the same temper.

Uncle Iroh smiled and looked at them calmly. "I gave the order. I have stopped to get something very important."

"And what is that so important thing?"

"I have lost a lotus tile for my game."Iroh answered simply.

Lamura's and Zuko's eyes grew wide. "WHAT!"


	2. A doll that meant everything

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. If I did, it would have Lamura in it.

Author's Note: This story is going to be a bit strange and sorta disturbing. It hurts to think of it. You'll see why later. Once again, bold is for thoughts and italics are for flashbacks.

_Kindling a hidden flame_

Lamura walked off the ship with Zuko by her side. They were both still quite angered at Iroh for stopping the ship against Zuko's command but Lamura was secretly happy to be back on dry land. She looked over at Zuko and saw his eyes still burning slightly with agitation. She moved close to his side, making it look like they were just standing to the side while the others got off the ship. She reached out and took Zuko's hand. She gave it a soft squeeze.

Zuko looked over at her when he felt her hand holding his. He moved a little closer. He then felt himself being pulled towards the gangplank. He saw Lamura pulling him under.

Once underneath it and hidden from all eyes, Lamura pulled him close and slammed her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with his ponytail. She felt him respond by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. He kissed back with a lot of passion. He slipped his tongue in her mouth and explored her mouth. His tongue fought hers for power and won. He knew this was always a battle he would win. Lamura didn't try and stop him, this was a battle she would be happy to lose.

"Nephew? Where are you?" Uncle Iroh called out, his voice getting closer to their little hide-out. They broke away and he walked from under the gangplank. Lamura heard him speak, slight irritation in his voice.

"What uncle? What is it?"

"I was hoping you could come with me to search for my lotus tile.Where's Lamura?Perhaps she would like to come as well?"

Lamura walked from under the gangplank and walked over to them. "Prince Zuko, I think I'll wander around on my own."

Zuko looked at her and frowned. "Are you sure? I don't want you to get lost."

"I won't get lost. I have an excellent sense of direction. Help your uncle and we'll be able to leave faster. I'll look around quickly so I don't keep you waiting." Lamura then turned and walked into the market. She looked through a few shops at the jewlery and cloth. She stopped in a dress shop and looked around.She ran her hands over some of the cloth and stopped when she felt her fingers run over silk. She pulled the silk from it's place and looked at it. It was a beautiful green dress with black swirls on it. It had long sleeves and the back was cut low. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you. I made one like that for my grandaughter who's about your age." An elderly lady said to Lamura.

Lamura put the dress back and walked over to the elderly lady. "Really? You made that beautiful dress?"

"Yes. My granddaughter is about your age and I gave it to her for a birthday gift. I'm Alaiah. It's nice to see a young girl like yourself around." Alaiah said, a piece of cloth on her lap. She threaded a needle and began to work on the cloth. Lamura watched as Alaiah embroidered a small dove onto the cloth.

"My name's Lamura. It's nice to meet you. So what's your granddaughter like, if you don't mind me asking?"

Alaiah put the cloth down and picked up a small scroll. She unrolled the scroll to show a young girl with short black hair and bright eyes. The girl had a small kitten in her arms and was smiling brightly. "She's a very sweet girl. She takes care of the young children and animals in her village. She's a waterbender."

Lamura's eyes widened. Could this girl be the one that she had seen traveling with the Avatar? "She's a waterbender? That's amazing. What's her name? I think I might have run into her before."

Alaiah smiled and set the cloth on the table infront of her. She rolled up the scroll and set it next to a small black box. "Her name is Mainori."

Lamura nodded. "Well, I must have been mistaken. Forgive me but I must go. My friend will be waiting for me. Goodbye." Lamura waved as she walked out of the small shop. She figured that she had spent plenty of time out in the market and made her way back to the boat.

As she walked, her eyes caught a glimpse of something on a nearby shop front. She stopped quickly and turned. She moved closer and gazed at the item. It was a porcelin doll dressed in a red Victorian dress. The doll had long black hair with long ringlet curls and bright blue eyes. Her skin was pale but eyes brought out so much life and emotion. She was amazed that there was a doll like this.

She had a doll exactly like this one when she was younger. Her grandmother had given her a porcelain doll that she had had when she was young that looked almost exactly like the one infront of her. The dolls were very rare. Her grandmother died a few weeks after she gave Lamura the doll. Lamura saw the doll as her only reminder of her grandmother. She treated the doll like a precious treasure. She loved the doll so much and she had it until she was fourteen. A terrible fire had set her house up in flames. Her family and her had gotten out and firebenders were already starting to try and control the fire. Many things were saved but some things were lost. At first, she had felt a small glimmer of hope that her doll was safe because they said that no one had found it but when she went through the debri and ash of her old home, she found a small shoe that had been on her doll before the fire. Her dearest gift was gone.

She cried for days after she lost the one thing that she had to remember her grandmother. She felt like she had disgraced and dishonored her grandmother. She went into a depression and only when Zuko came and held her in her arms did she begin to feel better.

She looked at the doll and slowly reached towards it, her pale fingers wrapping themselves around the cold porcelain skin of the doll. She picked it up and stared at it with now tear- filled eyes. The memory of her grandmother and the doll she had lost came rushing back to her. All those feelings came rushing back and she was overcome by emotion. She looked at the doll and then gently put it back down. She wiped her tears away and took in a few deep breaths. She lifted her head and spoke, hoping to get the shopkeeper's attention. "Excuse me, sir?"

A man about Iroh's age looked over at her and walked closer. "Yes? Is there something you wish to purchase?"

"How much is this doll? I was hoping to buy it." Lamura said, motioning towards the little doll.

The shopkeeper looked at the doll, thought for a moment, and then spoke. "It's a very rare doll so it's seventy gold pieces and twelve silver pieces."

Lamura's eyes got wide and she looked towards the doll then back at the shopkeeper. " That's a lot of money."

"This is a very rare doll. I'm not lowering my price so don't even try to haggle." the shopkeeper stood tall and crossed his arms infront of his chest, waiting for her response.

Lamura looked up at him and saw his seriousness. She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. Seeing that the doll was not meant to be hers and opening her eyes, she opened her mouth to say good- bye to the shopkeeper but someone else's voice interupted her. "Miss Lamura, I'm suprised to see you here." That voice reached Lamura's ears and she cringed. Her back stiffened and she slowly turned towards the voice. Standing nearby with a smirk on his face was Commander Zhao. She was silent as she watched Commander Zhao walked closer. He stood right infront of her and smirked down at her. "Well? Aren't you going to speak to me?"

Lamura withheld a growl deep in her throat and took a step back. She curtsied gracefully and put on a fake smile. "Forgive me, Commander Zhao but I am also as suprised about seeing you here as you are about seeing me. What has brought you here to this market?"

Zhao smiled a disgusting smile as he watched Lamura. "My troops and I stopped here for supplies. What are you doing here? Is that young banished prince nearby?"

"Don't speak about Zuko like that! He's a good person and you know it!" After that, her eyes widened when she realized how she spoke to him. She wished she could just walk away but her parents had taught her better and she bowed her head. "Forgive me, Commander Zhao. I spoke out of place."

Zhao smirked and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You've always been a little hard to control. So what brings you here, dear Lamura?"

Lamura took a few steps away but Zhao only pulled her closer. She kindly removed his hand from her shoulder and took a another step away from him. She turned her gaze from him and back to the doll. "I was looking at this doll. It reminds me a lot of the one that I lost in the housefire years ago."

Zhao smiled and looked at the doll as well. "Well, why don't you purchase it?"

Lamura looked down at her feet and frowned. She mumbled only loud enough for him to hear her. "I do not have the money to get it. I don't mind though." She looked up at Zhao and and gave him a small smile. "Well, I must get going. I don't want to keep the ship waiting." With that, Lamura curtsied and turned, walking away with a little rush in her step.

When she arrived at the ship, she stood at the bottom of the gangplank and waited for a minute, wondering if Zuko and Iroh had returned yet. After a few minutes waiting, she decided to go on the ship and look for them. Before she stepped on the gangplank, she heard someone call out her name. She turned and saw Commander Zhao once again. She groaned lightly and put on a small smile. "Commander Zhao, what are you doing here? I figured you would have returned to your ship by now."

Commander Zhao stopped infront of her. He had something behind his back. "I was heading back to my ship but before I left, I thought you might like this." He pulled a small box from behind his back and held it out for her.

Lamura smiled and took the box. She found the edge of the lid and slowly lifted it off the box. She looked inside the opened box and her jaw dropped. She dropped the lid and pulled the item from it's container. In her hands was the porcelain doll that she had seen at the shop. She looked up at Zhao with wide eyes and she saw that he was smiling. "Is this really for me?"

Zhao nodded. "I thought you would like it as a travel companion. She'll always be there if the banished prince isn't." He smirked. He never gave up the chance to insult Zuko.

Lamura was about to say something but Zuko's voice came to her ears. "Commander Zhao, what are you doing here?" Zuko appeared next to Lamura and glared up at Zhao.

Chuckling, Zhao looked at Zuko with a stern face. "I ran into Miss Lamura in the market and I thought I would give her a parting gift before she left."

Zuko looked down at Lamura. He saw her look up and he turned his gaze to the doll. She held it out for him to see. His mind immediately thought of the doll she had lost in the fire and he saw how she held it. It was her new lifeline. She held it close as if she were clinging to her memories of her grandmother. He looked at her with a bit of sadness in his eyes but quickly brushed it off. He turned back to look at Zhao. "Well, you've given it to her and now we need to leave. Come on Lamura." Zuko wrapped his arm gently around her shoulders and turned her towards the ship. As they walked up the gangplank, Zuko looked over his shoulder and saw Zhao watching Lamura. He caught his gaze and glared at him, only getting a smirk from him.

As soon as they had the gangplank up, he gave some orders and the ship began to move. After they were away from the docks, Zuko noticed that Lamura had vanished. He gazed around and saw her at the front of the boat. He walked over and stood behind her. She still had the doll in her arms and tears were close to falling from her eyes. He moved next to her and reached out his hand, wiping her tears away. "That doll looks very nice. It reminds me of the one from your old home."

Lamura nodded and remained silent. She looked down at the doll and wiped away more tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She turned towards Zuko and spoke. "I'm going to go to my rom. I need some time alone."

Zuko nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I'll escourt you there. I need some rest as well."

Lamura gave him a small smile and whispered a thank you. They walked in silence, the only sound being the sound of their shoes. When they reached Lamura's room, they stood there in silence for a moment. Lamura looked up at Zuko and then turned towards her door. She opened the door and took a step inside.

Zuko stopped her and leaned close. He placed a kiss on her cheek and then stepped back. He saw a smile appear on her lips as she stepped into her room. The door closed quietly. The hall was completely silent. He walked down the hall and entered his bedroom. He saw a small package on his box and this brought a smile to his face. He walked over to the box and opened it. Inside lay a small figure, dressed in a red dress with a black bow tied around it's fragile waist. It had long black curls and bright blue eyes. There were only a few little marks on the porcelain skin but it looked almost like it were brand new. Zuko picked it up and sighed. "I guess now that she has that new one, she won't want this one back."

He put the figure in the box and tossed the box under his bed. He laid back and put his hand under his head. He stared up at the ceiling and was lost in deep thought.

Under the bed, the box was on it's side, the lid slightly opened. A small porcelain hand stuck out from the box. The hand of the doll Lamura had lost years before in the fire that had shattered a part of her heart that Zuko had never fully healed.


	3. The Misunderstanding

Discalimer: I do not own Avatar but that would be pretty cool though. Hehehehe

Author's Note:A few of my events may be off a bit. I can't remember all the episodes in order. Please forgive me! One friendly reminder, bold is for thoughts and italics are for flashbacks. In this chapter, underlined words are writing.

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_Kindling a hidden flame_

It had been a week and a half since Zuko and Lamura had been alone together. Actually, they had been alone plenty of times in the past ten days but it wasn't a comfortable alone. There was always an awkward silence between them. Lamura stayed in her room a lot while Zuko would stay in the navigation room for hours on end.

Today was like every other day. Zuko was sitting in the navigation room while Lamura was sitting in her room. She had on a long black dress that hugged her curves well. The skirt spilled over her bedside, looking like a waterfall of dark water. She held her doll in her arms and buried her face in its hair. Her hair was down, matching the black of her dress. The only light color was her pale skin. She had lost her soft tan from her time in her room.

The silence in the room was very bone-chilling. She looked around for no reason and saw her fire was dying. She would have gotten up and stirred it but she felt too sad to firebend. As she bowed her head, her hair fell infront of her face, hiding it from the room. She heard her door open and close with a clang!. She looked through her hair and saw Iroh. "Hello Iroh."

"Hello Lamura. Why are you here all alone?" Iroh asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I don't know. I can't leave. If I do, I'll have to face Zuko."

"Why do you not wish to face my nephew? Are you afraid of him?" Iroh asked as he tucked a strand of Lamura's hair behind her ear, revealing her pretty face.

"I'm not afraid of him. I'm afraid of the way he'll look at me. He hates Commander Zhao and the doll he gave me. I'm afraid that he'll hate me for accepting the doll. I just don't have the courage to go out and face him." Lamura was near tears now.

Iroh moved to sit closer to Lamura. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his arms. "Shh... It's alright. You can have all the time you wish. Zuko is having just as much trouble leaving the navigation room. He waits until he knows you'll be asleep then creeps to his room."

Lamura looked up at Iroh. "He does?"

"Yes. He has yet to tell me anything but I can see in his eyes and in the way that he moves that he misses you and wishes to be around you again. You two were the only two I have ever seen that were actually happy through a betrothel. You must not let your fear of his rejection get to you. He will accept you because he loves you."

Lamura nodded and wiped away her tears. "If you think he'll love me anyway, I'll go see him."

Iroh smiled and got up. "Good but wipe your eyes first. I believe he's on the deck now. I'll go see." Iroh gave her another smile and silently left the room.

Lamura wiped her eyes and stood up from her bed. She smoothed out her dress and then ran her hands through her hair. She looked at herself in a small handmirror then left her room. She walked to the deck and looked for Zuko. Spotting him, she walked up behind him only to hear him speak to Lieutenant Jee. "The safety of the crew isn't important. Catching the Avatar is." His words shocked her. **Does he really not care about our safety?** Lamura stared with wide eyes at Zuko.

Lieutenant Jee looked over Zuko's shoulder and saw the hurt look on Lamura's face. He glared at Zuko. "Really?" He motioned for Zuko to turn around.

Zuko noticed the motion and turned around. He gasped when he saw Lamura. **Did she hear what I said?** His expression softened and he took a step closer to her. "Lamura...Did you-"

"Yes. I heard you. Thank you for opening my eyes. You don't really care. You never really cared!" She yelled as her tears fell from her eyes. She turned and ran off of the deck. She ran down the dark hall and ran right into her room. She slammed the door behind her and threw herself on her bed. "He doesn't care about me! All the love he showed me isn't real. All he cares about is catching the Avatar!" She cried into her pillow until she couldn't cry anymore.

On deck, Zuko was frozen in his place. Lamura had heard him. He heard Lieutenant Jee whispering to some others. "I'm not suprised. They were too different. He never really cared about her." Zuko would have turned and gone after Jee but he had other things on his mind. Without saying anything, he walked after Lamura.

Lamura sat at the table that was across from her bed. She had a piece of paper and a quill in her hand. She dipped the tip of her quill in a bottle of ink and began to write.

Dear mother and father,

I have terrible news. I fear that I overheard Zuko's true feelings about me and my safety. He was speaking with Lieutenant Jee when I heard him say that the safety of the crew was unimportant and that it didn't matter. I felt like my heart was tearing into little pieces. I thought he loved me. He has told me before that even if we hadn't have been betrothed, he would have asked for my hand in marriage anyway. He told me that he cares deeply for me but those words that he spoke showed that everything was a lie. I could tell in the way he spoke that he didn't care if any of us died in his search for the Avatar. He doesn't care about my safety or his uncle's safety. I feel like I don't even know him anymore.

Lamura stopped writing and thought back to some of the moments she had shared with Zuko. He had comforted her and held her in his arms so many times. He had whispered sweet words to her and made her heart fly to the clouds. He had made her heart soar and if he had asked, she would have given everything for him. She would have given him her heart and everything along with it. Now, she just felt empty. She felt cold and lifeless.

Lamura put her quill down and yawned. All the crying, running, and emotional stress from the past few days had really made her tired. She rose to her feet and moved from her table to her bed. She slipped under her blankets and closed her eyes. She was asleep in seconds.

Only moments after she had fallen asleep, Zuko walked in. He had been standing outside of her door for minutes, listening to her through the door. He had heard her mumble a few words quietly but he didn't understand her. He heard a long silence and had decided to enter. He stuck his head in the room, looking from one side to the other. He stepped in completely when he saw Lamura asleep on her bed. He slipped in the room, closing the door behind him.

He looked at the desk and saw a sheet of parchment on it with a quill and ink. He walked over and picked it up off of the table. He let her eyes scan over the letter and the more he read, the wider his eyes got. When he finished, he lowered the note and stared at Lamura's sleeping figure. "She really thinks that's how I feel about her?" He let the letter drop and he walked over to Lamura's bedside. He kneeled down and carressed her cheek with the back of her hand. He whispered to her as she slept even though he knew she wasn't listening. "Lamura, I care for you more than anything in the world. Without you, I would have hardened my heart and never been happy ever again."

He slowly rose to his feet and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. He walked to her door and sighed before opening it. **I have to make this right somehow.

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Author's Note: How was it? Please review and tell me what you think. You can give me ideas or whatever. No Flames please.


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